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The Startup Junkies Podcast

The Startup Junkies podcast is hosted by Jeff Amerine and the team at Startup Junkie. We’ll cover topics ranging from getting started, planning, growing your business, proving your concept, leadership, marketing, exit strategies and so much more. We’ll interview business owners, entrepreneurs, experts and people we think will bring value to our audience. Subscribe, and together we'll take your business to the next level.
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Now displaying: April, 2021

This is the Startup Junkies Podcast. These are the stories of the people that are afflicted with creating the next great products and services that are going to change lives - not just in America, but worldwide. We're going to tell the stories of the next great beer producer, products and apparel makers, and the stories of people that don't accept the status quo and that want to make things better. 

Welcome to the Startup Junkies Podcast.

Apr 26, 2021

Welcome to another episode of the Startup Junkies Podcast!

This week, Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Matthew Ward talked with serial entrepreneur David Jay.  David is a self-proclaimed startup junkie, and he’s here to talk about his latest venture: Warm Welcome.  Adding video to your professional image through your email signature, business card, and website is a great way to stand out from the crowd, and Warm Welcome is here to help.  Caleb, Jeff, Matthew, and David chat about the impact of video, the pros and cons of venture capital, moving from Oregan to Florida, and the importance of quality time with the family.  Thanks for tuning in!

 

Shownotes

(1:16) Introducing David Jay and Warm Welcome

(10:40) What happens with audio platforms like Clubhouse?

(12:20) Venture capital

(16:55) Using video to stick out from the crowd

(25:15) Moving across the country

(27:47) What does success look like for David?

(30:48) Advice for the younger self

(32:38) Wrap up

 

Links

Caleb Talley

Jeff Amerine

Matthew Ward

David Jay 

Warm Welcome  

 

Quotes

As the market matures, it needs more than just a tactical solution to the problem, it needs a strategic solution to the problem.  And that’s where we said, we want to personalize every touch point on the customer journey.” (8:08)

 

People used to think that video had to be produced and polished and perfect, and what we found this year is that people actually don’t want that most of the time.  They want it to be personal, and they want it to be engaging, because it’s real and authentic, not because it’s produced and perfect.” (17:18)

When you put a video bubble on your website, or you send out a video email to your customers, and you say, ‘hey we’d love to hear from you’ because it gives an opportunity to share their problem with you.  And then, if you take the time to answer those questions, it shows that you care and that you have something to offer back.”  (20:13)

Apr 19, 2021

Welcome to another episode of the Startup Junkies Podcast!

In this week’s episode, Caleb Talley and Jeff Amerine speak with Suzanne Tulien, the founder of Brand Ascension.  Suzanne is an expert in establishing brand identity, and she talks with Caleb and Jeff about the importance of identifying, defining, and aligning with your brand.  Tune in to hear her help Caleb and Jeff define their personal brands!

Shownotes

(0:55) Introducing Suzanne Tulien

(4:23) Defining your values to establish your brand

(9:47) Branding vs. Marketing

(16:00) Branding a region

(19:16) Advice for startups

(25:44) What is success to Suzanne? 

(29:14) Creating personal brands for Jeff and Caleb

(36:51) Advice for the younger self

(38:05) Wrap Up


Links

Caleb Talley

Jeff Amerine

Matthew Ward

Suzanne Tulien 

Brand Ascension 

 

Quotes

I was realizing all the sudden that what I’m doing for you is a disservice – designing a look and feel on a logo, that was just really putting lipstick on the pig so to speak, and not helping you truly clarify and understand who you are as a brand.” (2:37)

 

They should have been telling me who they were, as a designer, but instead I found myself telling them who they should be, because they weren’t clear enough.  And so the DNA methodology came out of a desire to create a step-by-step process to help them identify, define, and align to who they’re saying they are – who they’re promising to be – and deliver.” (3:08)

 

I have to consciously, strategically, and deliberately align myself to create the standards of performance that you do in business – or my standards of living for a personal brand – that I can actually step into.” (7:14)

 

We’re going to start aligning – that’s the third thing – identify, define, and align.  So align is what you have to do in order to deliver on your promise, and how do we make these core values in this style attribute tangible, so that it shows up in my actions and behaviors.” (7:56)

 

Marketing might get your clients or prospects in the door, but it’s your brand that keeps them coming back.” (12:03) 

 

Everybody already has a brand.  They already have a personal brand because a personal brand is just a perception, and you begin formulating giving off things that create perceptions from day one.”  (22:10)

Apr 12, 2021

Welcome to another episode of the Startup Junkies Podcast!

In this episode, Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Matthew Ward talk with Eric Shirley, the Director of Acquisitions at Four Oaks Capital.  Eric began flipping houses in college before turning his focus towards multi-family complexes.  A year and a half ago, he teamed up with a few of his biggest competitors to form a superteam of sorts.  Caleb, Jeff, Matthew, and Eric talk about Four Oaks Capital’s three main pillars, educating investors to build trust, and which markets will be the next to get hot!  As always, thanks for tuning in!

Shownotes

(1:44) Introducing Eric Shirley

(5:26) Purposefully partnering with investors

(12:23) Implementing systems to keep the machine running

(14:50) Predicting the next big market and what success looks like

(23:37) Teaming up with your biggest competition

(26:30) Anticipating challenges

(29:10) Finding accredited investors

(32:48) Advice for the younger self

(35:10) Wrap up

 

Links

Caleb Talley

Jeff Amerine

Matthew Ward

Eric Shirley

Four Oaks Capital  

Diary of an Apartment Investor 

 

Quotes

“You could buy a house on a Friday.  Two weeks later after putting a little work into it, you can make 40, 50 grand.  It was my first taste of real estate.” (4:04)

 

“It was really just a product of need, knowing that what I was doing wasn’t going to fill my long-term goals, and that’s not the way I wanted to do it.  So just looking for a more efficient way.” (5:11)

 

“At this point, we look at 100-120 deals a month.  We’re submitting maybe 2 offers a month based on that deal flow.  So, we sift through a lot of less than ideal opportunities to find the diamond in the rough, but that’s our commitment to our investors to find those kinds of unicorns that still exist.” (7:12)

 

“That was probably our biggest learning curve was kind of the systemization and the process implementation, and creating those from scratch.  At the end of the day, I don’t want a business where I am the business.  I want a business where when I stop being the business, it continues to run like a well-oiled machine.  And those things don’t come without processes and procedures.” (12:52)

 

“I think for a lot of us that have had success in whatever facet of life, being self-aware enough to recognize where you’re weak is hard, and being able to not only recognize it, but then pass it off to someone else [who has that] strength, and having that trust and accountability.  That took some learning, and we had to make some pivots internally of certain folks that we thought were going to be a better fit [in one position]...turned out to be a better fit [in a different position].” (24:23)

 

“That’s where I think we really separate ourselves from the pack.  It’s never about us.  It’s always about our investors.  Everything we do is in the best interest of our investors, and I think that shines through our dialogue.” (26:16)

 

“I think it’s really imperative for folks like us to educate, to instill trust, and to deliver, so that when people see the benefits that real estate investing on a passive level can have, they have a trusted source to turn to.” (28:46)

 

Sponsored by Tiny Capital: https://www.tinycapital.com/

Tiny partners with founders to give them quick, straightforward exits that protect their team and culture. We’ll make an offer within a week, close the deal within a month, and keep your business operating for the long term. 

Get in touch at tinycapital.com/startupjunkies, and we’ll let you know within a couple of days.

Apr 5, 2021

Welcome to another episode of the Startup Junkies Podcast!

In this episode, Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Matthew Ward are joined by Etienne Bernier of Kreezee Sports.  Etienne is an ex-firefighter from Quebec City that used his entrepreneurial spirit to solve a problem he was facing while managing an adult hockey league.  He and his business partner built Kreezee Sports to help you manage your amateur sports club, league, or tournament.  Tune in to hear about Etienne’s unique entrepreneurial journey!

 

Shownotes

(1:31) Introducing Etienne and Kreezee Sports

(5:38) How Etienne’s background affected his entrepreneurship

(9:02) Kreezee Sports and COVID

(13:29) Quebec’s startup scene

(16:18) Customer acquisition 

(20:59) What does future success look like?

(23:59) What sets Kreezee Sports apart

(26:52) Advice for the younger self

 

Links

Caleb Talley

Jeff Amerine

Matthew Ward

Etienne Bernier 

Kreezee Sports 

 

Quotes

“If you’re the leader of the company, you have to take the punches.  And maybe that’s the relation between business and hockey.  I think in business it takes a lot of courage and you have to never give up.  I mean, you are facing a lot of [challenges].”  (7:43)

 

“I think the dark side of COVID with our business is that the traffic is very low on our websites, because we do provide websites to sports clubs, leagues, and tournaments.  So yeah, the traffic has been very low since COVID happened because a lot of leagues are shut down for the entire season.”  (10:10)

 

“Obviously we started with a small [tournament], but having that customer in our portfolio gave us a great showcase, and then a lot of people joined us because the credibility was there because of that customer.  So that's one of the main reasons why we got into the US market so fast.  Then we grew a lot, because when you have big names using your software, it’s way easier to get new customers to join a new software.”  (18:35)

 

Sponsored by Tiny Capital: https://www.tinycapital.com/

Tiny partners with founders to give them quick, straightforward exits that protect their team and culture. We’ll make an offer within a week, close the deal within a month, and keep your business operating for the long term. 

Get in touch at tinycapital.com/startupjunkies, and we’ll let you know within a couple of days.

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